Ruth Cooke CEO

Introduction

Ruth Cooke is the Chief Executive Officer of GreenSquareAccord, a large housing association formed by the 2021 merger of GreenSquare Group and Accord Housing Association. GreenSquareAccord owns and manages around 25,000 homes across regions from the West Midlands to the South West. Ms. Cooke has spent virtually her entire career in the social housing sector, holding senior roles in several housing associations before taking on the leadership of GreenSquareAccord. She is known for her focus on improving housing services and her active involvement in industry initiatives and boards.

Career History and Previous Roles

Early Career and Finance Roles: Ruth Cooke is a qualified accountant who began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers. She entered the housing sector in the early 2000s, serving as Chief Finance Officer of Anchor Trust from 2003 to 2005. She also held senior finance positions at Knightstone Housing and other housing organizations. By the mid-2000s, Cooke had joined Midland Heart as Finance Director.

Midland Heart (CEO, 2012–2018): In 2012, Ruth Cooke was appointed Chief Executive of Midland Heart. During her tenure, Midland Heart pursued service improvement programs and maintained financial robustness. She also served as Chair of Connexus Housing from 2010 to 2019 in a non-executive capacity.

Clarion Housing Group (Group CEO, 2018): In April 2018, Cooke became Group Chief Executive of Clarion Housing Group, the UK’s largest housing association. Her time at Clarion was brief; she went on extended leave after five months and resigned in October 2018 for personal reasons. Her departure was unexpected, but not surrounded by public controversy.

GreenSquare Group (Chief Executive, 2019–2021): In February 2019, Ruth Cooke joined GreenSquare Group as interim CEO and was appointed permanent CEO in May 2019. She worked to strengthen customer service and began exploring strategic partnerships, leading to talks with Accord Housing.

GreenSquareAccord (Chief Executive, 2021–Present): The merger of GreenSquare and Accord was completed on 1 April 2021. Ruth Cooke was appointed CEO of the new entity. She continues to serve in this position and was appointed to the Board of the National Housing Federation in 2023.

Public Statements and Thought Leadership

Cooke has frequently shared her insights on mergers, development, and decarbonisation:

  • She has stated that merging was about building resilience and local focus.

  • GreenSquareAccord aims to build 1,000 new homes annually by 2025/26.

  • She has discussed the challenges of decarbonising older stock and involving residents in sustainable living.

  • Cooke publicly acknowledged challenges during COVID-19 and praised frontline staff.

  • She responded to Housing Ombudsman findings with public acknowledgment and a pledge to improve complaint handling and services.

  • Cooke has emphasised the value of learning from complaints, framing them as tools for organisational improvement.

Performance and Controversies in Prior Positions

Cooke’s performance in previous roles has generally been strong, marked by improvements in financial performance and service delivery:

Midland Heart: Her leadership was seen as effective, and the organisation maintained strong governance and viability ratings. However, she was involved in a libel case after the Sunday Mirror linked her salary and Midland Heart’s ownership of homes on James Turner Street (featured on Benefits Street). Though the court acknowledged defamation, the claim did not proceed due to a lack of "serious harm" as defined under defamation law.

Clarion Housing Group: Her short tenure ended due to personal reasons. The lack of public explanation led to speculation, but no misconduct was alleged.

GreenSquare Group: Her tenure involved reorganisation and service improvement efforts, culminating in the decision to merge with Accord.

GreenSquareAccord: Appointment, Initiatives, and Recent Performance

As CEO of GreenSquareAccord, Ruth Cooke has led integration efforts post-merger and overseen initiatives in development, building safety, and service delivery.

Integration and Governance: Post-merger, GSA received a governance downgrade in 2021 but returned to a G1 rating after strengthening oversight.

Service Failures and Ombudsman Findings: Between 2022 and 2023, GreenSquareAccord was investigated by the Housing Ombudsman for multiple cases of severe maladministration. In response, Cooke issued a public apology and launched a Customer Service Improvement Plan.

Development: Cooke maintained GSA’s commitment to new housing, with a target of 1,000 homes per year by 2025/26.

Sustainability and Innovation: Cooke has supported innovation such as modular homes and engaged with sector-wide conversations on decarbonisation.

Resident Engagement: GSA has developed new resident panels and increased transparency. Cooke has made some outreach efforts, although some resident groups remain critical of the pace of change.

Salary and Compensation

Ruth Cooke’s salary has been publicly reported:

  • Midland Heart (circa 2014): Approximately £179,000 per year.

  • Clarion Housing Group (2018): Likely in the £300,000 range, pro-rated for her short tenure.

  • GreenSquareAccord (2023/24): Reported at £291,468, a 14.8% increase from the prior year.

This places her near the higher end of executive salaries for associations managing 20,000–40,000 homes. While boards defend such pay as necessary for securing talent, residents have criticised the optics of large pay increases amid service complaints.

Sources

  1. Inside Housing: GreenSquareAccord merger coverage

  2. GreenSquareAccord press releases and governance statements

  3. National Housing Federation Board announcements

  4. Ruth Cooke public interviews and sector conference appearances

  5. Housing Ombudsman investigation reports (2023–2024)

  6. Regulator of Social Housing grading updates

  7. Legal case: Cooke & Midland Heart v MGN (2014)

  8. Inside Housing CEO Salary Survey (2024)

  9. Media coverage of Clarion Housing Group leadership transition

  10. GreenSquareAccord Residents Blog and community commentary